Folding bench having back rest convertible to table top



FOLDING BENCH HAVING BACK REST CONVERTIBLE TO TABLE TOP Filed Dec. 2, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1950 R. H. ZIMMERMAN EIAL 2,509,556

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FOLDING BENCH HAVING BACK REST CONVERTIBLE TO TABLE TOP Filed Dec. 2, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1mm "6 mum FJ'G- Q l INVENTORS W 1950 R. H. ZIMMERMAN ETAL 2,509,556

FOLDING BENCH HAVING BACK REST CONVERTIBLE T0 TABLE TOP Filed Dec. 2, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 er" F 6? 6.5 E

Patented May 30, 1950 FOLDING BENCH HAVING BACK REST CONVERTIBLE T TABLE TOP Ralph H. Zimmerman, Lcs Angeles, John M. Gordon, Inglewood, and Frederick (J. Thompson,

Los Angcles, Calif.

Application December 2, 1947, Serial No. 789,312

Claims.

The present invention relates to folding convertible benches, and its principal object is to provide a new and improved bench that can be folded to an extremel compact bundle requiring the minimum of space for storage or transportatlon, and which can be erected to form either a bench with a back rest, or a bench with a table top. The advantage of this arrangement is that it enables the same bench to be used both for lounging and eating purposes, and when its use is no longer required, the bench can be folded up and stored away.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bench of the class described wherein the supporting members for the seat and back rest are connected to their respective boards for relative swinging and turning movement, so that the said members can be folded flat against the under sides of the boards and extending lengthwise thereof. This arrangement permits the supporting members to be disposed entirely within the edges of the boards, and enables the two boards to be strapped together to form a flat, rectangular package having no protuberance of any kind. The collapsed benches can thus be stacked in an area no larger than that required by the dimensions of the boards themselves, which is an important advantage when large numbers of the benches must be stored or shipped.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding convertible bench wherein the legs of the seat board and the supporting members of the back. rest board, pivot and swing from the flatfolded position to their respective erected positions, and each of the said supporting members then fits into one of the legs, so that the bench can be quickly and easily erected or collapsed without the use of tools.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding convertible bench wherein the legs and back rest supports are made up as sub-assembly units that are quickly removable from their respective boards for replacement or repair purposes. An incidental advantage of this arrangement is that the same legs and support units can be used with any length seat and back rest boards, thereby simplifying the production of thebenches in various lengths.

Still another object of the invention, in. one of. its aspects, is to, provide a folding, convertible bench of the class described, wherein, the support members for the back rest and? table top board extend upwardly from ground level and pass the edge of the seat board at a sufficient distance laterally outward therefrom to provide leg clearance, so that ingress or egress may be had from either end of the bench when the latter is set up with the table top. This eliminates the need for swinging the legs up over the seat board, or stepping over the same, which has been necessitated in the past because of the 0b, structing presence of the support members extending upwardly from the edge of the seat board.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of, the following detailed description of two illustrative embodiments thereof, reference being, had to the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, seen from behind, of our improved bench, showing the same set up with a table top;

Figure 2 is another view of the bench, as it appears when set up with a back rest;

Figure 3 is an end view of the bench;

Figure 4 is a View showing the two boards laid out side-by-side, with their respective supporting members folded flat;

Figure 5 is an end View, showing the two halves of the bench folded up and strapped together;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, showing the manner in which the supporting member is positioned on the back rest and table top board;

Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional View of a detail, taken along the line l! in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line 8--8 in Figure 3;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line 9-9 in Figure 6;

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line Ill-Ill in Figure 3; and

Figure 11 is an end view of a modified form of the invention.

The embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 10; inclusive, will be taken up first, and in these drawings the bench is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral l2. The bench [2 consists of an elongated seat board I3, preferably of hard wood, which is supported near its ends on two tubular steel leg members M. A second board It of the same dimensions as the seat board I3, is adapted to be held by two tubular steel supporting members It in either the horizontal position shown in solid lines in Figure 3, to form a table top, or in the rearwardly inclined, generally vertical plane shown in dot-dash lines, to form a back rest.

Each of the leg members [4 is made up of sections of steel tubin bent to the shape shown and Welded together to form a generally trapezoidal figure intersected by an upwardly and rearwardly inclined tube 2d. The tube 25 is open at its top end to receive the tubular supporting member l6, and the top and rear sections 2i and 22 of the leg member are welded to opposite sides thereof. The lower end of the tube 29 is welded to the midpoint of the horizontal bottom section 23 of the leg member, and a triangular gusset plate 24 is welded to both of the members at their junction. At its front and rear ends, the bottom tube 23 is bent downwardly to form curved, ground-engaging portions 25.

The top horizontal tube 2i of the leg member is disposed closely adjacent and parallel to the under side of the seat board it, and rotatably mounted on its rear end is a sleeve 26 which is swiveled to a rectangular mounting plate at one end thereof. The mounting plate 3%} is preferably secured by screws or bolts to the under side of the seat board it, and is removable therefrom. A circular bearing boss ti is welded to the top surface of the sleeve 26%, and projecting upwardly from its center is a pin 52. The pin 32 extends through a hole 33 in the plate 38, and into a cavity 34 formed in the under side of the board l3. A washer 35 is welded to the top end of the pin 32, and the plate 30 is thus confined between the washer and the boss 3!. This arrangement secures the sleeve 26 to the plate 3%, and permits it to swivel about the vertical axis of the pin 32. A collar 36 is welded to the tube 2| ahead of the sleeve 26 and limits the latter against sliding movement forwardly of the position shown. Also fixed to the under side of the plate 38 at the front end thereof is a hook-shaped catch, or limit stop 4i], which is engageable with a projecting end portion 4! on the tube 2! to position the latter crosswise to the board it.

The two leg members 14 are braced in their erected, perpendicular position by means of two bracing tubes 42 which are attached to the midpoint of the seat board It and extend downwardly and outwardly therefrom to connect with the lower portions of the leg members. The upper ends of the bracing tubes 42 are preferably flattened and pierced; and extending through the holes thus formed is a U-shaped bolt 43 which is welded to and extends downwardly from a plate 44. The plate 44 is secured by screws to the under side of the seat board it. The outer ends of the bracing tubes 62 are detachably connected to the leg members M by means of couplings 45, which are shown in detail in Figure 8.

The coupling 45 preferably consists of a wedgeshaped member 46 mounted on the outer end of the tube 42, which cooperates with another wedge-shaped member 47 welded to the inside surface of the gusset plate 24, to form a scarf joint. The two members 46, a l are drilled through on a diameter, midway between the ends of their cooperating bevel faces, and a pin 50 is secured in the hole of member 46. The pin 50 is adapted to seat in the hole of member 4'. to tie the two members together against longitudinal displacement, and the members are held against lateral separation by means of a sleeve which is slidably mounted on the tube 42. The sleeve 5! is urged outwardly by means of a coil spring 52 encircling the tube 42 above the sleeve, the upper end of said spring bearing against a collar 53 which is welded to the tube. The outer tip end of the wedge-shaped member 46 is bent outwardly to form a lip 54, and this serves as a limit stop for the sleeve 5i, preventing the latter from sliding all the end of the tube 42. To connect the outer end of the bracing tube with the leg member l4, it is necessary only to pull. the sleeve 5| back against the pressure of spring 52, and then place the bevel face of member 46 down against the bevel face of member 41, seating the pin 553 in its hole. The sleeve 5% is then released, and is pushed down over the joint by the spring 5?. to hold the two members 46, 4? against spreading apart.

The supporting members iii are likewise preierably formed of steel tubing which is bent to form angularly related upper portions W and lower portions 58. The bottom end of the lower portion 58 is adapted to be telescopically inserted down into the tube 29 of the leg member i i, forming an upwardly and rearwardly inclined continuation thereof. The angle formed by the upper portion 51 is such that when it is turned to extend rearwardiy (i. e., laterally with respect to the seat board It), its axis is disposed in a horizontal plane, as shown in Figure 3.

J ournalled on the outer end of the upper portion 57 of the supporting member is is a sleeve Gil which is confined between two collars 6i and 62 that are welded to the tube 5'5. A circular bearing boss 63 is welded to the top side of the sleeve 60, and projecting upwardly from the center thereof is a pin 64. The pin 64 extends through a hole 65 in one end of a rectangular mounting plate 5%, and into a cavity El formed in the under side of the board I5. The mounting plate 66 is detachably secured to the under side of the board 15 by screws so that it can be moved for purposes of replacement or repair. A washer "it is welded to the upper end of the pin 64 and bears against the top surface of the plate 66, forming a swivel connection for the sleeve iii). A hook-shaped catch, or limit stop H, is secured to each of the plates and is engageable with the supporting member it adja cent the beginning of the bend, to position the upper portion 5'? crosswise to the board it.

Positioned just beyond and alongside the catch ll of the right hand mounting plate 65 is a spring latch 12 which is engageable with its associated supporting member IE to lock the latter in place when the upper portion 51 is in the horizontal position, crosswise to the board H5. The latch it? consists of a fiat leaf-spring, the right hand end of which is secured to the plate E6. The spring 12 is bent outwardly, away from the plate 66, and has a protuberant stud 13 that is positioned to drop into a hole 14 in the tubular member It at a point just beyond the beginning of the bend. The end of the spring 12 projects somewhat beyond the tubular member I6, and is rolled under at 15 to provide a bead which facilitates gripping the latch to disengage the stud '53: from the supporting member 16.

Attached to the bottom surface of the board 5 at one side of the mounting plates 56 are U-shaped spring clips 16 which are adapted to receive the lower portion 58 of the supporting members it, when the latter are turned to the position shown in Figure 2. The principal purpose of the spring clip 16 is to hold the supporting members It in place while the members l6 are being assembled to the leg M of the bench. Other spring clips H are provided, which hold the supporting members I 6 flat against the board [5, as shown in Figure 4. Still other clips 8H are provided on the bottom surface of the seat board l3 to hold the bracing 5, tubes 42 in place when the supporting structure for the seat board is folded.

Attached to opposite side edges of the seat board is adjacent both ends thereof are brackets 8! having straps 82 and 83 connected thereto. Straps 33 are both provided with buckles 84, and when the two boards i3 and 5, with their respective supporting members folded flat against their under sides, are placed one on top of the other, as shown in Figure these straps can be passed around board i5 and secured by the buckles 84. When the bench is erected, the straps 82 and 83 hang loosely to the ground, where they are out of the way.

The first step in erecting the bench is to unfasten the straps B2, 83 and lay the two boards l3 and IE on the ground, as shown in Figure 4. The bracing tubes 52 are then pulled free of their clips 89, freeing the leg members M so that they can be swung up to perpendicular position and then turned crosswise to the scat board I 3. The bracing tubes 42 are then connected to the lower ends of the leg members, securing the latter in place. The seat unit is then turned over and rested on the supporting legs. The supporting members it are next pulled free of the clips TI and are swung around on their pivots to the relative position shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 6, being then snapped down into the clips it. The backboard i5 is then raised to a position permitting the lower ends of the supporting members it to be inserted down into the tube 26 of the leg members i i. The bench is now set up, as shown in Figure 2, with the board l5 serving as a back rest.

To convert the back rest into a table top, the lower edge of the board i5 is pulled forwardly to disengage the supporting member 16 from the clips it, and the board is then raised to a horizontal position and support portions 5'] are simultaneously swung rearwardly in an arcuate path to bring the upper portions 5i of the supporting members It out to the horizontal position shown in Figure 3. As the board it. and tubular portion 5? approach the position shown, the right hand supporting member is depresses the spring latch '52 and is finally engaged by the stud 53, which drops into the hole it, looking the supporting members against further relative movement. The bench is now set up with a table top, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. To restore the table top to its position as a back rest, the spring i2 is pressed upwardly, lifting the stud '53 out of the hole '64, after which the board l5 can be swung forwardly and tilted down to the generally vertical position occupied when serving as a back rest.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 11, wherein'parts that are similar to those of the foregoing embodiment bear the same reference numerals as in the latter, but with the suffix a added. In this construction, the tubular leg members ila are bent to the form shown, with a rearwardly extending, horizontal bottom portion s which terminates in a tube ill extending upwardly and inclined forwardly from the ground engaging portion 25a. The top end of the tube ti is cut off at the level of the under side of. the seat board 53c. and is reinforced by a tubular collar $2 to prevent tearing of the tube walls. A short bracing tube 93 is interposed between the tubular portions es and 9t, and is welded thereto to stiffen the tube at against bending in a fore and aft direction.

The supporting members [6a are bent to an acute angle, as shown, and the lower portions 58a are adapted to be telescopically inserted into the tubes 9| to form continuations thereof. The tubular portions 9| and 58a pass the rear edge of the board l3a at a sufiicientdistance laterally outward therefrom to provide leg clearance, whereby ingress or egress may be had from either end of the bench when the board I511 is set up as a tabletop. This eliminates the need for persons sitting down to the table to swing their legs up over the seat board lta, or to step over the latter, as has been necessary heretofore because of the presence of supporting members extending upwardly from the back edge of the seat board. A hinged brace 54 is provided on the under side of the board l5a, and is provided on its outer end with a projecting tongue which is adapted to enter into a hole provided at in the lower tubular portion 58a, to hold the bottom edge of the back rest out to the position shown. A spring catch 97 engages the free end of the member 94 to hold the latter flat against the bottom of the board I 5a when the latter is set up as a table top.

While we have shown and described in considerable detail what we believe to be the preferred form of our invention, it is to be understood that such details are not restrictive, and that various changes might be made in the shape and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the ap pended claims.

We claim:

1. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of legs connected to the under side of said seat board for swinging and turning movement with respect thereto between a folded position fiat against said seat board and extending lengthwise thereof, and an erected position perpendicular to said board and extending crosswise thereof, an upwardly extending supporting member detachably connected with each of said legs and pivoted for rotation with respect thereto about an upwardly inclined axis, each of said supporting members having an upper portion bent to lie in a horizontal plane when turned to one position and in a generally vertical plane when turned to another position, a second board, and means providing a universal connection between said bent upper portions of said supporting members and the underside of said second board, whereby the latter is supported in a horizontal plane to form a table top sup-- porting members are turned to said one position. and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said members are turned to said other position.

2. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of legs connected to the under side of said seat board for swinging and turning movement with respect thereto between a folded position fiat against said seat board and extending lengthwise thereof, and an erected position perpendicular to said seat board and extending crosswise thereof, a second board, and a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, said upper portions being universally connected to the underside of said second board for swinging movement in a plane parallel thereto and for rotation about an axis in said plane, said lower portions being rotatably connected with said legs when the latter are in said erected position, whereby said upper portions may be turned to a first position extending horizontally and laterally outward from said seat board, or to a second position extendinggener-- ally lengthwise of said seat board, said second board having means engaging the supporting members to hold the second board in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper'portions are in said second position.

3. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of supporting legs, each of said legs having a horizontal tubular portion disposed closely adjacent the underside of said seat board and parallel to the surface thereof, a sleeve rotatable on each of said horizontal tubular portions, said sleeve being swiveled on said seat board, whereby said legs can be folded flat against the under side of said seat board and turned so as to extend lengthwise thereof, or erected to a position perpendicular to said board and turned to extend crosswise thereof, a pair of supporting members pivotally connected to said legs and extending upwardly therefrom, each or" said members having an upper portion bent to lie in a horizontal plane when turned to one position and in a generally vertical plane when turned to another position, a second board, and means providing a universal connection between said bent upper portions of said supporting members and the underside of said second board, whereby the latter is supported in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said supporting members are turned to said one position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said members are turned to said other position.

4. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of legs connected to the under side of said seat board for swinging and turning movement with respect thereto between a folded position flat against said seat board and extending lengthwise thereof, and an erected position perpendicular to said seat board and extending crosswise thereof, a second board, and a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, and a sleeve rotatable on said upper portion of each of said supporting members, each of said sleeves being swiveled on the underside of said second board, said lower portions being pivotally connected to said legs when the latter are in said erected position, whereby said upper portions may be turned. to a first position ex tending horizontally and laterally outward from said seat board, or to a second position extending generally lengthwise of said seat board, said second board having means engaging the supporting members to hold the second board in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position.

5. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of supporting legs, each of said legs having a horizontal tubular portion disposed closely adjacent the underside of said seat board and parallel to the surface thereof, a sleeve rotatable on each of said horizontal tubular portions, said sleeves being swiveled on said seat board, whereby said legs can be folded fiat against the underside of said seat board and turned so as to extend lengthwise thereof, or erected to a position perpendicular to said board and turned to extend crosswise thereof, a second board, a pair of tubular supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, and a sleeve rotatable on said upper portion of each of said supporting members, each of said last-named sleeves being swiveled on the underside of said second board, said lower portions being pivotally connected with said legs when the latter are in said erected position, whereby said upper portions may be turned to a first position extending horizontally and laterally outward from said seat board, or to a second position extending generally lengthwise of said seat board, said second board being held by said supporting members in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position.

6. A convertible bench comprising a seat board having a pair of supporting legs adjacent the ends thereof, each of said legs including a gIOlllldengaging portion projecting laterally beyond one edge of said seat board and terminating in an upwardly extending post, a second board, and a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, said upper portions being universally connected to the underside of said second board for swinging movement in a plane parallel thereto, and for rotation about an axis lying in said plane, said lower portions of said supporting members bein mounted on said posts to form extensions thereof, said supporting members being rotatable with respect to said posts, whereby said upper portions may be turned to a first position extending horizontally and laterally outward from said seat board, or to a second position extending generally lengthwise of said seat board, said second board being held by said supporting members in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position, said lower portions of said supporting members and said posts being spaced laterally outward from said one edge of said seat board a sufficient distance to provide leg clearance, whereby ingress or egress may be had from either end of the bench when said second board is positioned as a table top.

7. A convertible bench comprising a seat board having a pair of supporting legs adjacent the ends thereof, each of said legs including a groundengaging portion projecting laterally beyond one edge of said seat board and terminating in an upwardly extending post inclined back toward said seat board, a second board, and a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said supporting members being bent to an acute angle intermediate its ends to form upper and lower portions, said lower portions being detachably joined to said posts so as to form extensions thereof, and being rotatable with respect thereto, whereby said upper portions may be turned to a first position extending horizontally and a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position, bracin means on said second board engageable with said lower portions of said supporting means for holding said second board at a rearwardly inclined angle with respect to said seat board when set up as a back rest, said lower portions of said supporting members and said posts being spaced laterally outward from said one edge of said seat board a sufficient distance to provide leg clearance, whereby ingress or egress may be had from either end of the bench when said second board is positioned as a table top.

8. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of supporting legs connected to the under side of said seat board for swinging and turning movement with respect thereto between a folded position fiat against said board and extending lengthwise thereof, and an erected position perpendicular to said board and extending crosswise thereof, said supporting legs being disposed entirely within the edges of said seat board when in said folded position, a second board of substantially the same dimensions as said seat board, a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, a sleeve rotably mounted on each of said upper portions and swiveled on the under side of said second board, said lower portions being detachably joined to said legs when the latter are in said erected position, and rotatable with respect thereto, whereby said upper portions may be turned to a first position extending horizontally and laterally outward from said seat board, or to a second position extending generally lengthwise of said seat board, said second board being held by said supporting members in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position, said supporting members being foldable fiat against the under side of said second board and extending lengthwise thereof when detached from the bench legs, whereby said members are disposed entirely within the edges of said second board, and means for securing said seat board face to face with said second board, with said folded legs and supporting members on the inside.

9. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of legs connected to the under side of said seat board for swinging and turning movement with respect thereto between a folded position flat against said seat board and extending lengthwise thereof, and an erected position perpendicular to said seat board and extending crosswise thereof, means on said board engageable with said legs at both of said positions for holding the legs in place, a second board, a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, said upper portions being universally connected to the underside of said second board for swinging movement in a plane parallel thereto, said lower portions being 1'0- bers in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position, and a spring latch on said second board engageable with the upper portion of one of said supporting members when said upper portion is in the horizontal position for releasably locking said upper portion with respect to said second board.

10. A folding convertible bench comprising a seat board, a pair of supporting legs connected to the under side of said seat board for swinging and turning movement with respect thereto between a folded position flat against said board and extending lengthwise thereof, and an erected position perpendicular to said board and extending crosswise thereof, said supporting legs being disposed entirely within the edges of said seat board when in said folded position, a second board of substantially the same dimensions as said seat board, a pair of supporting members for said second board, each of said members being bent intermediate its ends to form angularly related upper and lower portions, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said upper portions and swiveled on the under side of said second board, said lower portions being rotatably and detachably connected to said legs when the latter are in said erected position, whereby said upper portions may be turned to a first position extending horizontally and laterally outward from said seat board, or to a second position extending generally lengthwise of said seat board, said second board being held by said supporting members in a horizontal plane to form a table top when said upper portions are in said first position, and in a generally vertical plane to form a back rest when said upper portions are in said second position, said supporting members being foldable flat against the under side of said second board and extending lengthwise: thereof, whereby said members are disposed entirely within the edges of said second board when detached from the bench legs, and a pair of straps: attached to opposite edges of said seat board at each end thereof, whereby said seat board and said second board can be strapped together face to face, with said folded legs and supporting members on the inside.

RALPH H. ZIMMERMAN. JOHN M. GORDON. FREDERICK C. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CIT D The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1.792,!37 Greenstreet Feb. 1'7, 1931 

